The James Randi Educational Foundation is pleased to announce a
workshop for examining paranormal claims entitled: "Solved Mysteries".

SCIENCE ON THE EDGE

On a nationally televised program, with clenched fists and a forceful
expression, a "psychic" appears to make a pencil spin with just his
mind. Children appear to be able to see pictures, text, and even
symbols with only her fingers. Throughout hospitals in the USA,
nurses claim to be able to not only detect, but to manipulate powerful
"human energy fields" with their hands.

Are we entering a whole new paradigm where the laws of nature are
subject to wishful thinking? Or is there something else at work here?

The James Randi Educational Foundation (JREF) presents a seminar that
will not only show us how to detect the underlying principles behind
these and other claims, but how to test for them, and reasonably
eliminate the potential for human error.

This is a hands-on, interactive, multi-media workshop that will allow
participants to examine the best evidence for these claims and then
develop methods to test them.

By the end of the seminar, even participants with no formal scientific
training will be capable of conducting proper examinations of psychic
claims and arriving at decisions that are authoritative and valuable.

In addition, research psychologist Dr. Suzanne Hadley will show us how
to quantify and assess the data in a painless approach to statistics.

Participants are encouraged to bring video cameras, still cameras,
and/or audio recorders. Informal dress is recommended, and should be
suitable for somewhat cool evenings.

WHAT WILL BE EXAMINED

o How you can establish proper, adequate controls without
elaborate equipment or facilities

o How you can judge whether people are being deceptive or
whether they are really deceiving themselves

o Dowsers say they can detect objects or substances by means
of a forked stick, a pendulum, a pair of stiff wires, or some
other "magic wand" that moves in response to a mysterious
force. What is really moving the device, and how do we
definitively test the claim?

o Some of the devious techniques people have attempted to use
to win the Foundation's million-dollar prize

o "Psychics" are able to duplicate drawings secretly made by
another person. Watch this miracle closeup and decide what
can be done to solve and control this feat -- unless it is
really a violation of Nature....

o A psychic causes objects to roll about dramatically on a
sheet of plastic. What is at work here, and can we control --
and duplicate -- the stunt?